Young professionals gathered around the bar at Tony Mandola's to sip cocktails, sample mouth-watering appetizers and chew the fat on all manner of topics during the CultureMap Mixer on the Map hosting the Houston Junior Chamber of Commerce, better known as the Jaycees.

The New Orleans bachelor party of Chris McVey, director of finance at Mustang Cat, was a hot topic (McVey and several of the guys had just returned from that bash) as was the upcoming Dragon Boat Races and Assistant District Attorney Gene Wu's race for State Representative. He was there along with Channel 13 news whiz Miya Shay.

Also on the table were plans for the white-tie-and-tails Consular Ball that the Jaycees sponsor each fall. This year's honored country will be Turkey, which will be featured with a trade mission this summer, a gala kickoff reception, a business conference and a ladies tea.

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